Posts Tagged Blue Note

Norah Jones Begin Again Blue Note Somehow Norah Jones has survived. That might seem a funny thing to say for someone that burst on to the scene with one of the biggest surprise debut hits of the modern era. And has been in favour almost ever since and always…but it took a few years for Jones to […]

José James Lean On Me Blue Note (BLU) When he’s not making his own great (original) music José James is the guy you want covering you. His tribute album to Billie Holiday is a gold standard. And now he gives the Bill Withers catalogue his touch – this is more of a straight reading, a warm tribute, James’ voice close to Withers […]

Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band Body and Shadow Blue Note I was first hipped to Brian Blade some 20+ years ago – he was playing with Joni Mitchell so, sure, I might well have liked just about any drummer doing that then, but it didn’t take long to absorb Blade’s amazing approach and unique […]

Tony Allen A Tribute To Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers (ep) Blue Note Records Originally released as a 10” EP – two tracks per side – this tribute to Art Blakey by Tony Allen is full of magic; for a start it welcomes Allen to Blue Note and has him playing his version of […]

Ryan Adams Prisoner Blue Note The best anyone can want for (and from) Ryan Adams these days is consistency. And he finds it here – perhaps ironically – when contemplating the recent upheaval of a failed marriage. Prisoner, arriving nearly two decades later, is the flip-side, in some ways, to debut solo album Heartbreaker. You […]

Bobby Hutcherson has died. The 75 year old vibraphonist, composer, band-leader and legendary jazz sideman had been battling emphysema across the last few years of his life. There’s every chance Bobby Hutcherson has the title as the greatest jazz vibes player – and I discovered him the best way possible: by fluke. As a young, […]

Terence Blanchard Breathless Blue Note Following on from the impressive Magnetic (a career high-point) Blanchard’s Breathless takes a shift toward a new direction but is every bit as good. Here the New Orleans native is supported by the band, E-Collective and it’s a sinewy-funk and groove-based stew that simmers away as Blanchard blows and as […]

Robert Glasper Trio Covered: The Robert Glasper Trio Recorded Live at Capitol Studios Blue Note It’s a welcome return to the piano/trio format for Glasper. He’s proved – as guest player (for the likes of Kendrick Lamar) and on his Black Radio releases with The Robert Glasper Experiment that he can a) do anything and […]

Ambrose Akinmusire The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier To Paint Blue Note/Universal On his second album for Blue Note, talented trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire features his killer ensemble and heads skyward with lofty ideas and jazz-rooted ideals. It’s a huge workout, bursting, brimming, bustling with both beauty and ugliness – reflecting the world of today through […]

Terence Blanchard Magnetic Blue Note Records I’ve always admired Terence Blanchard – his playing, from his time as one of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers through solo albums and his parallel career as a soundtrack composer – but I find myself, oftentimes, getting a little bored by his recorded works. But Magnetic, his return to the […]

Elvis Costello & The Roots Wise Up Ghost Blue Note/Universal I’d urge you to put in the work with this album – spend a while soaking it up; there’s a lot to get. Probably all but the keenest of Costello fans/apologists are guilty of listening through to his recent albums – anything from, depending on […]

Aaron Neville My True Story Blue Note It’s one of those covers albums where the artist revisits the material from their youth; the songs that influenced them, had an impression, set them off on their own journey…and unlike so many in this “genre” – this is fabulous. I’d go so far as to call it […]